The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-131914, which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a grommet for mounting on a panel, forming a vehicle body of a vehicle such as an automobile, a wire harness being passed through the inside of this grommet.
2. Related Art
A wire harness is passed through a hole 103 (shown in FIG. 12) formed through a panel 102 (shown in FIGS. 11 and 12), forming a vehicle body of a vehicle such as an automobile, and for example, a grommet 101, shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, is used for the purpose of preventing moisture, such as water, from depositing on the wire harness. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the hole 103 is an elongate hole of a generally oval or elliptical shape.
The grommet 101, shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, is formed into a tubular shape, and is mounted on the panel 102, and the wire harness is passed through this grommet. From the viewpoint of the quality, the grommet 101 of this kind is required to be able to be easily fitted into the hole 103 and also to have a reliable sealing performance.
The grommet 101, shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, includes a grommet body 104 of a tubular shape, a fitting portion 105, a flange portion 106, and a lip 107. The fitting portion 105 is formed at an end of the grommet body 104, and is fitted in the hole 103. The flange portion 106 is formed at the end of the grommet body 104 at which the fitting portion 105 is formed.
The flange portion 106 extends generally radially outwardly from the grommet body 104 (and hence from the grommet 101). The flange portion 106 is formed on the grommet body 104 over the entire periphery thereof. The flange portion 106 includes a pair of straight portions 108, spaced from each other, and a pair of arcuate portions 109 which are spaced from each other, and interconnect the pair of straight portions 108.
The lip 107 is formed at an outer peripheral edge portion of the flange portion 106 over the entire periphery thereof. When the fitting portion 105 is fitted in the hole 103, the lip 107 is held in contact with the panel 102 as shown in FIG. 12. The lip 107 cooperates with the panel 102 to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween, thereby preventing a liquid, such as water, from intruding into the grommet body 104 through a gap between the lip 107 and the panel 102.
In order to ensure the waterproof property, the grommet 101 is molded of elastically-deformable rubber or the like. Therefore, particularly, the fitting portion 105 of the grommet 101 is formed into a size slightly larger than that of the hole 103.
Therefore, when the fitting portion 105 is fitted in the hole 103, and is mounted on the panel 102 as shown in FIG. 12, the flange portion 106 is, in some cases, elastically deformed in such a manner that central portions of the pair of straight portions 108 are displaced toward the inside of the grommet body 104, as shown in FIG. 11. Thus, there was a fear that the conventional grommet 101 might detract from the appearance as a result of elastic deformation of the straight portions 108. And, this may cause the user of the automobile or others to have a double about the sealing performance of the grommet 101 although the lip 107 is held in intimate contact with the panel 102 to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a grommet which will not detract from the appearance when the grommet is mounted on a vehicle body of a vehicle.
(1) In order to solve the above problem to achieve the object, the invention provides a grommet including a pair of straight portions, spaced from each other, and a pair of arcuate portions which are spaced from each other, and interconnect the pair of straight portions, the pair of straight portions and the pair of arcuate portions defining a space through which a wire harness is adapted to be passed; wherein the grommet includes a fitting portion of a tubular shape for fitting in a hole, formed in a panel forming a vehicle body of a vehicle, and the interior of the fitting portion is in communication with the space; characterized in that the grommet includes a lip which is formed at outer edge portions of the pair of straight portions and the pair of arcuate portions over an entire periphery thereof, and is adapted to be held in contact with the panel upon fitting of the fitting portion in the hole, thereby forming a liquid-tight seal between the lip and the panel; and a projected portion projecting outwardly from one of the pair of straight portions.
(2) The grommet of the invention, depending from (1), is characterized in that the projected portion is formed at a central portion of one of the pair of straight portions, and extends along a direction of spacing of the pair of arcuate portions from each other, and an amount of projecting of the projected portion from the associated straight portion is decreasing gradually toward each arcuate portion.
(3) According to the invention, there is provided a grommet including a pair of first straight portions, spaced from each other, and a pair of second straight portions which are spaced from each other, and interconnect the pair of first straight portions, the pair of first straight portions and the pair of second straight portions defining a space through which a wire harness is adapted to be passed; wherein the grommet includes a fitting portion of a tubular shape for fitting in a hole, formed in a panel forming a vehicle body of a vehicle, and the interior of the fitting portion is in communication with the space; characterized in that the grommet includes a lip which is formed at outer edge portions of the pair of first straight portions and the pair of second straight portions over an entire periphery thereof, and is adapted to be held in contact with the panel upon fitting of the fitting portion in the hole, thereby forming a liquid-tight seal between the lip and the panel; and a first projected portion projecting outwardly from one the pair of first straight portions.
(4) The grommet of the invention, depending from (3), is characterized in that the first projected portion is formed at a central portion of one of the pair of first straight portions, and extends along a direction of spacing of the pair of second straight portions from each other, and an amount of projecting of the first projected portion from the associated first straight portion is decreasing gradually toward each second straight portion.
(5) According to the invention, there is provided a grommet including a pair of first straight portions, spaced from each other, and a pair of second straight portions which are spaced from each other, and interconnect the pair of first straight portions, the pair of first straight portions and the pair of second straight portions defining a space through which a wire harness is adapted to be passed; wherein the grommet includes a fitting portion of a tubular shape for fitting in a hole, formed in a panel forming a vehicle body of a vehicle, and the interior of the fitting portion is in communication with the space; characterized in that the grommet includes a lip which is formed at outer edge portions of the pair of first straight portions and the pair of second straight portions over an entire periphery thereof, and is adapted to be held in contact with the panel upon fitting of the fitting portion in the hole, thereby forming a liquid-tight seal between the lip and the panel; and second projected portions projecting outwardly from the pair of second straight portions, respectively.
(6) The grommet of the invention, depending from according to (5), characterized in that the second projected portions are formed respectively at central portions of the pair of second straight portions, and extend along a direction of spacing of the pair of first straight portions from each other, and the amount of projecting of each second projected portion from the associated second straight portion is decreasing gradually toward each first straight portion.
(7) According to the invention, there is provided a grommet including a pair of first straight portions, spaced from each other, and a pair of second straight portions which are spaced from each other, and interconnect the pair of first straight portions, the pair of first straight portions and the pair of second straight portions defining a space through which a wire harness is adapted to be passed; wherein the grommet includes a fitting portion of a tubular shape for fitting in a hole, formed in a panel forming a vehicle body of a vehicle, and the interior of the fitting portion is in communication with the space; characterized in that the grommet includes a lip which is formed at outer edge portions of the pair of first straight portions and the pair of second straight portions over an entire periphery thereof, and is adapted to be held in contact with the panel upon fitting of the fitting portion in the hole, thereby forming a liquid-tight seal between the lip and the panel; first projected portions projecting outwardly from the pair of first straight portions, respectively; and second projected portions projecting outwardly from the pair of second straight portions, respectively.
(8) The grommet of the invention, depending from (7), is characterized in that the first projected portions are formed respectively at central portions of the pair of first straight portions, and extend along a direction of spacing of the pair of second straight portions from each other, and the amount of projecting of each first projected portion from the associated first straight portion is decreasing gradually toward each second straight portion; and the second projected portions are formed respectively at central portions of the pair of second straight portions, and extend along a direction of spacing of the pair of first straight portions from each other, and the amount of projecting of each second projected portion from the associated second straight portion is decreasing gradually toward each first straight portion.
In the grommet of the above (1), the projected portions project outwardly from the straight portions, respectively. Therefore, strain, developing when the grommet is mounted on the panel, is supported by the projected portions. The combined thickness of each projected portion and associated straight portion is the increased thickness, and therefore the straight portion is less liable to be elastically deformed.
The projected portions project outwardly from the straight portions, respectively, and therefore the projected portions will not adversely affect the deformability of the lip at all.
In the grommet of (2), the amount of projecting of each projected portion from the associated straight portion is decreasing gradually toward each arcuate portion. The projected portion is provided at the central portion of the straight portion. Therefore, the combined thickness of the projected portion and straight portion is the largest at the central portion of the straight portion. Therefore, when the grommet is mounted on the panel, the straight portions are less liable to be elastically deformed.
In the grommet of (3), the first projected portions project outwardly from the first straight portions, respectively. Therefore, strain, developing when the grommet is mounted on the panel, is supported by the first projected portions. The combined thickness of each first projected portion and associated first straight portion is the increased thickness, and therefore the first straight portion is less liable to be elastically deformed when the grommet is mounted on the panel.
The first projected portions project outwardly from the first straight portions, respectively, and therefore the first projected portions will not adversely affect the deformability of the lip at all.
In the grommet of (4), the amount of projecting of each first projected portion from the associated first straight portion is decreasing gradually toward each second straight portion. The first projected portion is provided at the central portion of the first straight portion. Therefore, the combined thickness of the first projected portion and first straight portion is the largest at the central portion of the first straight portion. Therefore, when the grommet is mounted on the panel, the first straight portions are less liable to be elastically deformed.
In the grommet of (5), the second projected portions project outwardly from the second straight portions, respectively. Therefore, strain, developing when the grommet is mounted on the panel, is supported by the second projected portions. The combined thickness of each second projected portion and associated second straight portion is the increased thickness, and therefore the second straight portion is less liable to be elastically deformed when the grommet is mounted on the panel.
The second projected portions project outwardly from the second straight portions, respectively, and therefore the second projected portions will not adversely affect the deformability of the lip at all.
In the grommet of (6), the amount of projecting of each second projected portion from the associated second straight portion is decreasing gradually toward each first straight portion. The second projected portion is provided at the central portion of the second straight portion. Therefore, the combined thickness of the second projected portion and second straight portion is the largest at the central portion of the second straight portion. Therefore, when the grommet is mounted on the panel, the second straight portions are less liable to be elastically deformed.
In the grommet of (7), the first projected portions project outwardly from the first straight portions, respectively, and the second projected portions project outwardly from the second straight portions, respectively. Therefore, strain, developing when the grommet is mounted on the panel, is supported by the first and second projected portions. The combined thickness of each first projected portion and associated first straight portion, as well as the combined thickness of each second projected portion and associated second straight portion, is the increased thickness, and therefore the first and second straight portions are less liable to be elastically deformed when the grommet is mounted on the panel.
The first projected portions project outwardly from the first straight portions, respectively, and the second projected portions project outwardly from the second straight portions, respectively, and therefore the first and second projected portions will not adversely affect the deformability of the lip at all.
In the grommet of (8), the combined thickness of the first projected portion and first straight portion is the largest at the central portion of the first straight portion. The combined thickness of the second projected portion and second straight portion is the largest at the central portion of the second straight portion. Therefore, when the grommet is mounted on the panel, the first and second straight portions are less liable to be elastically deformed.